The simplest matter is often not that simple.

A SELF Interview to Wallace Huo, July 2016

Actually that’s a correct answer! However, Capricorn Wallace will never say these ‘correct answers’ off-screen, but remain simple and quiet as the fine and elegant man he is. He had his inner and deepest emotions well hidden and will only occasionally flare up in his dramas storyline; or rather abruptly, without any warning, made a ‘’seeking for blessing” headline. This is how he became a sweet and caring guy inadvertently. In that evening at Qingdao Lalu Hotel’s private beach, the air was refreshing. Looking up at the high, blue sky above us the white trail of a passing-by plane was still clearly visible. Time waits for no one. We raised with the sunset, shooting continuously; the clear waterfall blue sky gradually turned into pinkish rose color. Under low lighting shooting condition, the beach, rocks and Wallace were engulfed in a warm ambience. He glows with radiance in front of the camera showcasing the kind of relax expression which could only be portrayed by a matured and steady man like him. Looking away passed the tousled hair, the 7 degrees of strong winds with the saltiness from the seawater to the downtown buildings on the other side of the island.

Before we began our shooting session, Wallace had already been working at the beach for about 6 hours. After the shooting was completed we sat down for the interview session. In the hotel room where the sky and sea outside had turned dark, he tried his best to hide his exhaustion while talking, though his eyes were red already. He even changed into casual clothing and adjusted his sofa backrest to be in an upright position. We can’t help but to secretly sigh: “this is how you trained a perfect guy.”

“You accepted a total of four movies this year. It’s exhausting. Are you trying to achieve your dreams?” It’s just an ice-breaking question asked casually. Usually people will answer “to make my dream comes true”. There are also some who will say “actually my dream is very simple. I just wanted to be a bus driver!” But Wallace who always takes independent stance without thinking carefully blurted out “my earliest dream is… actually as a child I did not have any dreams. I only wanted to live healthy all my life and when the right time came, get married and have kids; having a normal routine and common lifestyle.

A big “囧” (Jiǒng - Ooops, ) appears! This is very unexpected but so very realistic. We were caught off guard. However he just casually laughed and continue: “Later on I took up vocal lesson. I felt that using my voice to express emotions is not a bad idea so I tried walking that path. As fate will have it I then had a chance to try out acting and that is where I found the charms that attracted me. Only then I began to develop the so-called career dreams. If I did not become an actor I probably would be doing some kind of down to earth job – a white-collar worker or probably be in the army. My whole family are government officials. They are all taking the same kind of road.”

The word “veteran” meant to mediate, sincere and honest as well as sharing life experiences. He earnestly advice: “I saw many ambitious girls who are very interesting. It’s OK that they pursue their dreams with their own efforts but never ever forget their bottom line and forgo their happiness in pursuit of their dream. Spiritual happiness is also very important.” He rubbed his dry eyes and promptly returns to his meticulous mode. “I am enjoying the moment very much. In fact, I did not plan a lot for the future. I put in the best effort in my task every day. It’s enjoyable. Only then I am able to continue down the road to make my dreams into reality.

A person who does not exist but was close to me, changed me.

Inside he is a sorrowful emperor and inside he transformed into a highly intelligent criminal psychology expert. His heavenly aura is still strongly engraved in fans’ memory. The heart-warming and adorable man inside made fans restless and anxious to hug the big screen. Wallace Huo had come a long way from his idol days, with variety of images. He is the hero and also the villain. He can be chivalrous, tender and very passionate.

An actor who is an idol yet very skillful, how will his real person be like? “Actually if I need to act myself I wouldn’t know how. You see? I never participate in any reality show.”

That’s true. Reality shows are the hottest thing at the moment but you will never see Wallace in any of them. “I think that since it’s a reality show then it is a must to show the real me to everyone. However, at times I’m not so willing to show the real me entirely. I am an actor. My main job is not in the variety or reality shows. If I often present my real self to everyone I’m afraid that people will be biased when they watch my characters. That’s why I rather prefer they look more at my characters. This is what will make me really happy. I’ll still keep my own personality to myself.”

If we may, we will help him to summarize as: I am one track-minded and simply just love acting! Wallace also admitted that if he really needs to use a specific image to ‘expose’ the real him, it would be the escort master he acted in . He began from zero to establish his own career. “He came from a very common family without any background. He relies on his own ability to establish an escort house in Beijing. He won respect from his peers and competitors. The feeling of starting from zero is quite similar to my own personal experience. That’s why I empathize a lot with this drama. This is the one character that resembles me the most.”

Seems Wallace is really very bashful and introvert. Who will ever think that he will fall in love with acting because of his bashfulness and introvert personality? Confusing? No worries, listen to what your adorable Wallace got to say: “I have many layers of personalities but I don’t really know how to express myself. Through my characters I can then let out what I usually would never dare to show because it is work so everyone will not think that I’m weird. In everyone’s heart, there will be some hidden personality. I’m lucky as after I became an actor, I can allow these hidden personalities to emerge, especially in my earlier years when I acted in comedies. These really changed me a lot. At first I was quite pessimistic but then I acted in a relaxing comedy drama. This character is very funny. He is a very optimistic person who doesn’t let things to bother him. He enjoys his life his own way. This person, who never existed but stayed close to me really made me more cheerful.”

After all that, Wallace just wanted to share a principle; love and do one thing purely and you will find deeper layers of happiness that might even completely change yourself. “Probably because in this line of work I need to face many people and different situations, gradually my mind became more open. I became more talkative. I used to be very quiet in front of strangers but now I can speak a few words, maybe not a lot but I really open up myself to communicate.

Working humbly Loving humbly

It is early May when Qingdao outdoor temperature is 15 degrees Celsius. Strong wind hit him on the face, blowing his clothes to wrap around Wallace’ skinny body tightly. He stood in the satin-like seawater, barefoot. He also sits cross-legged on the wet sand. As long as it is a request from the photographer he will swiftly follow instructions and not make any complains. In order not to waste time, even when the wind is blowing strongly he changed his clothes at one of the nearest open-air pavilion. Despite working continuously for almost eight hours, he is still very enthusiastic, rushing to complete the job before the sunset. Once complete, he profusely thanks the crew, ignoring his tiredness and coldness.

Wallace’s working ethic is well-known by everyone. Since his debut he had been persistent for more than 10 years but yet he still takes his job very seriously: today for example. Inside the hotel room Wallace says, with his calming yet not hesitant tone: “it’s not that I’m strict but I am just a simple person. In the studio I will not have any request. I’ll do what needs to be done as an actor, without many opinions and trying not to trouble others. This is maybe a slightly more old-fashioned kind of attitude but I already got used to it from day one. Right, it’s just something very simple.” “Sometimes people asked why I will not be late to work or leave early. However to me this is nothing to be proud of. It is something that should be done, an ingrained habit.”

Wallace had been filming TV series in Qingdao last year. Fans were very excited. This year again he is at Qingdao filming a movie and fans’ enthusiasm was elevated greatly. While filming, Wallace is very obliging whenever possible to fans’ request for autograph. He will greet them but he also worries about their safety. Because of this, he will try to ‘educate’ the fans. These were widely shared online which got him the glorious title of “long-winded veteran”.

“I will try to portray the real me to them. This is different from those reality shows. I hope that they will be able to see the real me and not someone that is out of reach or that will ignore them. Some fans are very young so I am very worried of their safety. However as this was shared online and quickly spread widely I do not dare to say so much now. I’m afraid that if I kept saying those things people will think I’m a hypocrite, doing it on purpose…”

So, being the godly figure is getting more stressful? “It’s okay,” Wallace said shyly but very quickly returns to his fine-looking condition: “Actually there is not much stress because I had never labeled myself as a star. I know very well that in the studio I’m just an actor. It’s just that sometimes I will encounter some enthusiastic audience. They like the roles I played and I’m contented.” “When you are very simple you heart is very clear. There is no pressure and very little pain. It’s the same in life. The most comfortable day I can think of will be when I can wake up whenever I like and then go for mountain climbing --- this year I grew to enjoy mountain climbing. After that I will take my mom for good food and go back home to watch the TV. It’s just that simple. Whether or not you are rich or successful you have to be aware that you can still enjoy life no matter how. When you are very extraordinary yet living a simple life that’s when you are really awesome".

SELF Q&A

What are you favorite girl type?

Naturally generous, Optimistic, Cheerful, Not pretentious nor show off, low-profile. (Haha, and now we know who he’s referring to.)

What do you enjoy most in life?

When I was young I lead a very fast pace life. There is no chance for me to eat a meal slowly. So now, what I enjoy most is having a slower pace, when I can have my meal slowly, watch the sea, go for a drink and have a chat with friends.

If you will have a Weibo, what nickname will you choose?

Say “never think of having a weibo ah”

What will provoke your guilty conscience?

When I feel like my acting is not up to standard and does not speak much in front of the monitor, I will feel guilty.

When you are picking a girlfriend, which are more important? Age, Attractiveness, Intelligence, Temperament, Personality.